With or Without
by Bleu Sarcelle
Summary: Because it doesn't really matter whenever they have their respective mask on, the fact remains that both of them are dorks, and because that doesn't change no matter how much they try to hide it: a series of One-Shots of the Power Couple, being the dorks they are.
1. Sick Days

_N/a: Yes, hello! I'm here to write about the relationship between these two dorks. Most of them will be one shots, or sometimes to three shots, just as most of them will be about these two. I will be leaving 'notes' in the beginning to let you know about important details of certain shots but you get the deal._

 _Hope you enjoy the series and if you have any request, don't be afraid to let me know!_

* * *

 ** _Title:_** Sick Days

 ** _Author_** : Rea Treoni

 ** _Rating:_** K+

 ** _Characters:_** Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste.

 ** _Notes:_** Post-revealed.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own any Miraculous Ladybug related character. They belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge)_

* * *

"Kitty" Marinette whines, pushing yet again the thick blanket Adrien kept on tucking her in.

"Princess" he retorts back mockingly, flashing her a playful grin, pulling the blanket all up to her neck once again.

Adrien shook his head in amusement his stubborn girlfriend of two years pouted at him. The blond patted her head in mock before his eyes soften and stroke fondly his girlfriend's loose hair.

She'd been fighting him from the start as soon as he put a foot in her room earlier today, claiming with a hoarse voice that she was fine and they could go on with their date and later on patrol, on which he turned down in a second, frowning at her disapprovingly. The seventeen years old understood her worries and her need to go out and have fun but he needed put his foot down, being more worried about her wellbeing than a simple missed date, and he knew Paris wasn't going to perish if they skipped one night of patrol.

This wasn't the first time he has taken care of her while sick, but it always amused him how stubborn and whiny she gets during those days, her red looking cheeks puffed most of the time because of her pouts, her running nose, her messy loose hair, her glassy eyes as she glared at him from her spot on her bed. She would deny it to her grave, but Adrien can't help but to think how adorable she looks.

"You know how the drill goes, Mari, when one of us is sick." he reminds her softly, taking seat on the edge of her bed and handling her the box of tissue "You are officially bed ridden until further notice, My Lady." he declares firmly.

He knew how much she hated being sick, especially when they have just started winter break and this was going to be their first date in a while; the school and superhero business demanded a lot of their time but they at least got to be in each other presence, being still in the same classroom and in superhero time.

"But Adrien," she whines, sending him a pitiful look, her lower lip trembling "I wanted to go out on our date."

He smiled at her softly, reassuring "The point of dates is to hang out with each other, Mari" he says, moving closer to her and taking her hand, giving her a small squeeze "And here I am." He points at himself playfully.

Her lip didn't stop trembling and her blue eyes just got brighter, and with that Adrien knew what was coming next. "Princess, don't cry."

He also knew how emotional she gets when she's sick.

Marinette hiccups but nods, ignoring the few tears that escaped. Adrien smiles and brings her close, wrapping her petite frame and holding her close to his chest, rubbing small soothing circles in her back.

"How about a movie?" he suggest, his hands not stopping their actions and smiles to himself as she relaxed against him "We can watch whatever you want and I can bring some snack from downstairs that your parents left us."

"Did they leave some cheese?" the voice of Plagg appeared all of the sudden, butting himself into the conversation. Adrien sent him an annoyed look while Marinette turned her head slightly from her boyfriend's shoulder, glancing at the black kwami and smiling at him.

"Plagg" Adrien sighs, sending him a warning look. Marinette just chuckles softly.

"Of course, Plagg, help yourself."

Plagg squeals and flew away downstairs, leaving the couple behind.

"Tikki." Calls Adrien, catching the attention of the small kwami, who was in Marinette's desk with a cookie of her own "Can you please follow him and make sure he doesn't make a mess?" he pleads her, and the red kwami giggle before nodding gleefully, following soon after her old friend.

"So," Adrien turned back his attention to the girl in his arms "Movie date, then?" she jokes, a small smile in her lips. The blond smiled bright at her, dropping a quick kiss in her forehead before climbing down the stairs to retrieve the laptop from the desk.

It was late afternoon and four movies later that Adrien found himself in a sitting position, back against a bunch of pillows, the laptop's screen facing him with the fifth movie still playing in low volume and his girlfriend's sleeping body pressed against his, her arm wrapped around his waist and her head pillowed by his chest, with a blanket covering both out them.

Adrien unconsciously stroking her hair with his hand and smiling lovingly at his lady, staring at her with such fondness, as he tune out the rest of the movie and focused on the small and soft breaths his girl made. Dropping a kiss in her hair, Adrien leaned back and closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

That is until Marinette grunted in annoyance and pushed the blanket off her, kicking it in hope to push it to the end of the bed. Adrien face palmed himself.

* * *

 _ **Hope you liked it!**_


	2. Illusions

**_Title:_** Illusions

 ** _Author_** : Rea Treoni

 ** _Rating:_** K+

 ** _Characters:_** Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste.

 ** _Notes:_** Post-revealed.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own any Miraculous Ladybug related character. They belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge)_

* * *

She stared at her bloodstained hands as she backed away from his body.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, silent tears running down her cheek. "I'm so sorry!" she sobs, pressing both dirty hands against her mouth, trying to suppress the sobs.

Her vision was getting blurry with all the tears and yet she could still make out how the body in front of her tried to raise his arm, in a poor attempt to reach her.

"A-Adrien." She shakes her head, still not believing that the body in front of her was the one of her partner and best friend. His transformation had beeped its final warning long ago, right after she had finished her job and he had stayed down, defeated, leaving behind a beat up sixteen years old with blond messy hair and dull green eyes.

"M-Marinette." The blond murmurs brokenly, lifting ever so slightly his head just enough to see her. His left eye was swollen while his right eye was cover in blood.

She vaguely knowledge the beeping sound coming from her earrings as she took another step back, her blue crystal eyes never leaving his form, watching how Adrien's left arm was still raised towards her but it has started shaking, as if he couldn't hold himself any longer, before dropping it almost lifelessly to the ground.

"Why?" she hears him breath out and was the last sound she hears from him before he laid down his head, eye lids half open still focused on her and his body stopped all together from moving.

Marinette woke up screaming. Tikki was by her side in an instant, patting her in her cheek to catch her attention while widen blue yes looked around her room in alert and confusion. Her breathing was erratic and short, not enough for her to be able to catch her breath. She suddenly feels pressure against her back, something wrapping her in an embrace from behind but she can't think straight to recognize the familiar action, she could only feel safe and protected.

She hears soft murmurs against her ear, telling her to breath and showing her how. She listens to the instructions, inhaling and exhaling only when the voice told her to.

It took a while, but Marinette was finally able to get her breathing in control. She relaxed and let herself fall backwards, landing against a firm and yet soft surface behind her. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, letting out a hiccup from time to time, but at least the sobs had calmed down.

She suddenly feels the arms around her moving, rubbing small soothing circles in her own arms in attempt to comfort her. The action itself only brought fresh new tears to her eyes.

"Marinette." She hears him calling her from behind, soft and worried. Marinette hiccups.

"Princess." He tries again, placing his head above her, pulling her close against him and Marinette could only melt from the warm it brought her.

"I-I'm okay." She says, sniffling softly and wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"Nightmare?" he asks in low voice, as if sharing a secret between them, that not even the bight moon outside could hear them.

She nods, snuggling closer to him and hiding under his chin, closing her eyes but opening them after a second when the imagines from the nightmare reappeared in front of her.

"It wasn't real." He says, his statement as firm as it was the first time he said it, and she nods again.

"Doesn't mean it didn't felt real enough, Kitty"

Adrien embrace got loose for a second before tightening his hold around her, dropping his lips against her temple.

They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the city outside her balcony, the loud snores coming from Plagg, the deep breaths Marinette made to stay in control of herself, Adrien's soft humming in attempt to lighten up the mood.

It had been a week since the event. They had been fighting against a new Akuma; the poor man had been cheated on and feed up with lies his entire life, the breaking point was when the person he held on dear to him confessed that all of their relationship had been an act, none of it had been real. He had been crushed, allowing Hawkmoth to take advantage and transform him into The Act Breaker.

When Ladybug and Chat Noir finally arrived to the scene, many people were trapped inside a transparent box, each victim experiencing different kinds of scenarios, showing them their worst fears again and again with the only objective to drive them mad.

They had a slip. They blamed themselves for it: Chat blames himself for not being able to reach her in time and Ladybug blames herself for being distracted. She doesn't how long she was trapped inside of the boxes, how many scenarios she went through that left her scared to the core, but the next thing she knew she was pressed against a black leather covered chest, sobbing her heart out, barely noticing the unconscious form of the Act Breaker a few feet away from them.

After composing herself and finishing the job, both superheroes left the scene. They ended up in Marinette's room, both of them silent and a somber silence between them. Both teenagers dropped their transformations, their respective kwamis sharing a worried glance between them before leaving the scene, in hope their charges will talk it out.

After what felt like hours and Adrien's endless tries for her to open up and talk about it, she broke down and started blurting all of the terrible scenes she saw while trapped. The one where her parents had been in a cross fired during one of the Akuma's attacks, the one where her friends and family disappeared because she hadn't been good enough to save them, the one where she was exposed as Ladybug and everyone left her.

The one where she beat up Adrien to the point of almost killing him.

Adrien just held her, rubbing circles in her back and whispering comforting words in her ear. It had hurt him more that he would admit to watch the strong confident Marinette to broke down like this and he hated himself even more when he could only sat beside her and offer what little comfort he could to make her feel better.

They spent the night together, holding each other in hopes to bring each other some comfort after the event. It was a few days later, when Adrien noticed Marinette's dark bags under her eyes. After a long heart felt conversation later, she admitted that she has been having nightmares.

She didn't need to tell him more before their sleeping schedule suddenly became one.

"I wish I could help." The blond whispers against her hair, bringing her back to reality, and she can hear the dejected and loathing tone in his voice, knowing that he was angry with himself.

She untangled herself from his arms, only to turn around to face him directly. With both hands, clean washed no bloody hands she registers with a relief in her mind, she rubs his left cheek fondly before cupping his face and bringing it closer to hers.

"You are, Silly Kitty." She confirms, a small sincere smile in her face, her blue eyes sparking in the dark, dropping a soft kiss in his nose.

She swears that his loving and relived smile he returned to her could light up her entire room in the dead of the night. He hums and pulls her close by her neck, meeting her lips half way.

She sometimes questions if it is an illusion, that maybe she's still trapped inside the box, showing her a perfect world only to crushing it down later on.

But then, when his lips move against hers and a warm feeling appears in Marinette's stomach, traveling all up to her chest and cheeks, it only proves her wrong. She feels the soft pressure of his hands rubbing circles against her skin in her hips. She feels how she cradles her close and nuzzles his face in the crook of her neck, his warm breath against her skin leaving her almost breathless and with goosebumps.

So she giggles as she nuzzles him back, glad that she had someone to prove her wrong and breaks the illusions for her.

* * *

 _ **Hope you liked it!**_


	3. Not That Big Of a Surprise

**_Title:_** Not That Big Of a Surprise

 ** _Author_** : Rea Treoni

 ** _Rating:_** K+

 ** _Characters:_** Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste, Nino, Alya.

 ** _Notes:_** Post-reveal, aged-up characters.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own any Miraculous Ladybug related character. They belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge)_

* * *

"Are you _sure_ she doesn't suspects a thing?"

Alya scoffs from the other side _"Adrien, I'm pretty sure she doesn't know a single thing about your Oh-So-Perfect-Surprise for her. She would have called me already if she did."_

Adrien shifted on his feet, biting his lower lip "Okay, fair enough. I'm just real nervous about all of this."

 _"That's understandable, but it's just a –"_

 _"ALYA! I can't find the Wifi password. Help!"_ suddenly appeared Nino's voice in the background. Adrien chuckled to himself at his best friend's tactics while he hears Alya sighing.

 _"I gotta go save my new roommate. We'll talk later to straight out any more details, alright?"_

The twenty four years old nods "Sure, no problem. Thanks, Alya."

 _"No problem, Prince Charming."_

Adrien let out another chuckle, knowing that Nino could be into technology all he wanted but he was helpless when it came to solve thing without the internet. That's alright, though, because now he's living with Alya, so he's covered in that area.

They decided to move in together a few months ago, believing that it was the next step of their relationship. Both Marinette and Adrien had been ecstatic for them, but, of course, there were tears shed, all of them coming from both girl and a much denied Nino. So, after packing their stuff in their respective apartments and saying good bye to their respective roommate, the couple moved into their own home.

Marinette and Adrien helped them, picking up poxes and placing them all over the floor of the small living room. Adrien would catch Marinette's glance from the corner of his eye and he knew what she was thinking: when would it be their turn?

They had talked about it, but it was still a thought, just an idea that could be something else in the near future. Both of them knew there was no rush, being in a relationship for the last six years teaches you a thing or two about patience, but still, the thought of moving in a making official their life together seemed everyday more clearly.

Adrien had to admit, it felt pretty different the apartment without Nino making his usual ruckus and the lack of soap marks in the walls because of his bubbles, and Adrien knew for a fact that Marinette felt the same with her apartment, feeling the loss Alya when she left.

That's why he has planned this night for the past few days. He wanted a big warm party for his lady in her apartment so she wouldn't feel so alone and cold in it. He had everything in order: the food, the decorations, the beverages, the music, even the cake, which he _actually_ made himself.

Adrien knows he could have just asked Marinette's parents for a cake, but he felt it was more special if it came directly from him. The fact that it would also prove to his girlfriend that he could cook, without initiating a fire nor a plague, was a bonus.

He put on his special mittens (and really, they were only special because Marinette made him and they were customized as a black cat) and he took out the warm cake out of his oven and placed it carefully on the counter. The blond nods to himself, feeling a little more than proud at his creation and a small amount of smugness along with it, after all, it was pretty rare that 'Adrien' and 'Kitchen' together in a sentence didn't ended up along with the word 'fire'.

"Who would have known? You can actually make something edible. It must be magic." Mocks Plagg behind Adrien, letting a laugh at his charge annoyed look and settle in his shoulder.

"Oh, I can do magic: I can make all the cheese in the house to disappear." He challenges, smirking in victory when Plagg let out an offended and indignant squeal.

"You monster." He whispers, narrowing his eyes.

The superhero waves his hand at him. "Yeah, yeah. Now come on, pass me the frosting, we need to decorate this cake before seven pm."

"I still think we should cover it with cheese."

"I still think you should keep your comments to yourself."

"Mean."

"But true."

"Whatever."

After that, Adrien with the no help of Plagg, the cake was finished, cover in a white creamy frost along with small circles with pink frosting. Adrien stuck out his tongue, frowning in concentration as he made the last touches in the cake before stepping back from it, brushing his forehead with his arm to remove whatever he was trying to remove; he has lost count of how many kinds of food fell on him during his baking.

He had to admit, the cake looked pretty good, not a master piece alright, but good enough to be eaten. He spared a glance to the clock before racing towards the bathroom, it was almost time to get going and prepare everything.

The plan was simple: Marinette usually leaves her job around seven pm, which was enough time for him to pick up both Alya and Nino and go to Marinette's place, using Alya's old key to enter and set up everything before the young black haired woman came home.

Adrien grinned to himself, imagining Marinette's surprised face when she sees all the four of them in one room. It has been a while since they enjoyed each other company, being a adult makes it difficult, not to mention being a superhero by night, but they try to make the most of it when they actually get together.

He made sure to use some of Chat Noir's quickness and ended up being dressed and ready to go in under fifteen minutes. Sending Alya a quick text to let her know he was on his way, Adrien picked up his keys, placed the cake gently into one of the boxes he bought earlier today and left his apartment.

The trio arrived to Marinette's place a little after six, but there was still plenty of time to prepare everything is they did it right. Nino was in charge of the music, Alya of the decorations and Adrien focused on placing the cake in the center of the table that faced the front door, making sure that it was the second thing Marinette's eyes fell on after seeing him of course.

Almost jumping in excitement, Adrien shushes both of his friends and turn off the lights when he hears the tingling of keys just outside the door. They get into position, Alya hiding behind the counter of the kitchen, Nino behind the hallway wall, sticking out his cellphone enough to record the whole reaction, and Adrien placed himself in front of the door, grinning expectantly.

The door's handle turned and soon after the door opened completely.

"Surpri – "

Adrien's shout was cut off by a loud squeal and a fist colliding with his face.

He let out a cry of surprise next to a grunt in pain before landing in the ground, a little dumbfounded of what just happened. Marinette dropped to her knes next to him a second later, hands hovering above him, unsure of what to touch first.

"OH MY GOSH! ADRIEN! I'm so sorry, baby, I didn't realized it was you because you just _jumped_ at me, in the _dark_ , and it was a reflex and I'm sorry, are you okay? Does it hurt? Should I – Is that cake?" she pauses, eye brow raising and eyeing the cake with curiosity, Adrien's whines to catch her attention, in an instant Marinette's eyes fall on him once again "Oh, right! I'm so sorry! Oh my gosh, Kitty, what were you thinking? You know how paranoid I am! Are you sure you're okay? We can – I'm sorry, I just can't get over the fact that there' a cake over there that actually looks good and I know it's not from my parents. Baby did you actually baked this?" she asks her boyfriend in awe, an impressed look on her face.

"Marinette, I'm hurt and you're asking about the cake?" he whines again, holding up his nose and wincing in pain.

"Right, right. I'm so sorry, kitty! Let me see the damage, it doesn't look so bad and – Okay, I'm sorry, but I gotta know more about the cake. Nino!" she calls, snapping the black skinned man out of his fit of laughter "Is that chocolate cake or vanilla?"

"Chocolate." He answers between pants and chuckles, still holding up the cellphone and recording.

"You actually made a decently good looking chocolate cake all by yourself?" she asks, a surprise look on her face. Adrien tries not to take offence on that.

"I'm not that bad cooking." He argues, sending his best friend a glare when he wouldn0t stop laughing.

"Could have fooled me." Laughs Nino on the back, with an amused Alya by his side.

Marinette giggles while Adrien just pouts looking away, cheeks red in embarrassment. He's about to open his mouth and shout to his friend in annoyance when soft lips pressed themselves on his temple.

Adrien froze and looks up, catching Marinette's soft and fond look, staring right at him, brushing some of his hair out of his face.

"You're the best, Kitty." She whispers quietly, just for the two of them, and Adrien can't help the big smile that spreads all over his face.

He leans closer to her, a warm feeling inside him when she met him half way. "Anything for my princess." He whispers back before kissing her.

A week later, when Marinette was visiting his apartment, she made no comment on the black mark on his kitchen's ceiling; she just sent him a knowing look that made him smile sheepishly.

* * *

 ** _Hope you liked it!_**


	4. What Can't be Promised

**_N/a:_** _I honestly don't know what happened here. It took a turn I didn't intended and poof, I don0t even know how that happened. You can fill the situation with your imagination, it can be whatever you want, so, yeah, hope you enjoy it. Also, I suck at puns._

* * *

 ** _Title:_** What Can't be Promised

 ** _Author_** : Rea Treoni

 ** _Rating:_** K+

 ** _Characters:_** Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste.

 ** _Notes:_** Identity Reveal.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own any Miraculous Ladybug related character. They belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge)_

* * *

Marinette ran through the street, the only way she was keeping track of her partner was the destruction and bad luck that he left behind. The teenager was panting, almost out of breath and not for the first time she thought everything would be easier if she was transformed into her alter ego.

But Tikki was still tired after the exhausted battle she had a few minutes ago with Chat Blanc, the small kwami looked sadly at Marinette, feeling useless for not helping her friend but Marinette reassurance her that she need the rest and soon they will help their partner to come back to his normal cocky and silly self.

Or at least is what Marinette is praying for.

She knows Chat was having a bad week, if the lack of puns and flirty comments said anything about it, but she didn't know the extension of how bad he was feeling. It was her fault, she decided, the first time she spotted her partner in the rooftop of a building a few hours ago with a violet butterfly silhouette over his turned white mask, matching the rest of his suit. Her eyes couldn't believe this new version of her partner, his Akumazied partner, everything on him screamed wrong at first sight: his usual big expressive green eyes turned into a calculated cold stare and his warm playful grin turned into a wicked one, promising chaos.

She should have been a better friend. She should have listen to him when he asked to talk, just for a few minutes but instead she just apologized, patted his shoulder and threw him a worried glance before taking off, being more concern about the last beeping sound her Miraculous made than of the heavy dark cloud over her partner.

Marinette clenched her fist to the point of almost turning her knuckles white. Her blue eyes narrowed in pure determination on saving her partner. She was going to make things right.

* * *

He can feel the transformation taking over and he vaguely notices how his suit changes from bright white to its original black. Relief bottles up inside him and slowly he tries to sit up, leaning against the wall, knowing fairly well that his muscles were going to be a pain in the morning.

Before he can even sigh for finally being able to breathe and think for himself, a body suddenly presses itself against his, careful enough to mind his current wounds.

His hands moves in automatic and in no time he has a trembling Marinette shaking with sobs wrapped around his arms.

"Hey," he calls her quietly, hand stroking her hair as he feels sobs wracking her body "Princess, why are you crying?" he asks softly, too tired to speak louder but he couldn't stay quiet when his lady was crying without mercy on his shoulder.

"Because you're a stupid kitty." She answers after a pause, burying her face closer to the crook of his neck.

Chat chuckles slightly, suppressing a wince of pain coming from his ribs "Fair enough."

She hiccups and pushes herself closer to him "Please," she whispers "Please don't do that ever again."

He stays quiet, thought running through his head. Promise to be more careful so an event like this ever happens again? No problem, he can do that. Promise that he won't dive in at the mere sight of her being in danger and take her place without missing a beat if it means keeping her safe? Yes problem, he can't do that.

Marinette's pleading eyes weren't helping in the matter, though, it was hard enough to say no to her, even more so when she looks at him like that.

He sends her a pained smile, which was enough for her to understand his message. She shuts her eyes, biting her lower lip to prevent more sobs to come out. She understands his reasons, but that didn't mean that she had to be okay with them.

A leather covered hand places itself against her cheek, cupping it gently and lifting her head enough to catch her eye. Marinette opens her eyes only to meet a pair of green eyes, looking at her fondly, as if she was the most precious thing on the world.

"For what it's worth," he whispers, and she suppress a shiver for having his face so close to hears, his breath against her face "I'm sorry."

Marinette breath hitched "You're sorry?" she asks incredulous, and Chat doesn't get the chance to look confused before she continues talking " _I'm_ sorry. I should've been there for you! I should've done something, but instead I left you alone and because of that the Akuma was able to –" she knows she's rambling but the words won't stop pouring out of her mouth.

Chat tries to open his mouth to argue that she was in no way at fault but she just wouldn't stop.

"I'm your partner! I'm the one who is supposed to be there for you and have your back! And I couldn't even listen to you when you were down? What kind of partner that makes me? I'm so so sorry, Chat, it's all my fault. You're hurt and in pain because of me and I don't think I can ever forgive myself and –" a hand pressed against her mouth did the trick to shut her up.

Marinette blinks, letting a few tears in her eyes to fall, and looks up at Chat, expecting him to look disappointed or even angry at her, because she practically just revealed herself to be Ladybug, his partner, and the very reason be was Akumatized but instead, Chat was looking at her in a whole new light, a little unsure and nervous, but hope and excitement flashing through his eyes.

"Ladybug?" he asks under his voice, but in the dead of the night she could hear him clearly.

Marinette can only nod, a blush covering her face. "Yeah, it's me."

Suddenly Chat's hand cups both of her cheeks and laughs gleefully "I can't believe this!" he murmurs excitedly " _You're_ Ladybug?! All this time and – I just –" he crashes over his words, unsure of how to proceed but happy to finally _know_. The young teen let out a big chuckle before wincing, dropping one of his hand to support his side.

Marinette's hands were immediately over his "Are you okay?" she asks anxiously, but she gets a breathless laugh in response.

"I can't believe it's you." He whispers again, grabbing her hand and holding it near him, placing their intertwined hand over his chest.

Marinette blushes but she smiles a little "You sound like you aren't disappointed."

Chat green eyes widen in shock and surprise "Why in all of that is holy would I be disappointed?" he asks dumbfounded.

Marinette shrugs "I don't know, that I'm just plain old boring Marinette. That I'm not as amazing as Ladybug."

"Oh my gosh, Princess" Chat groans, shaking his head in disbelief "I don't even know if there's a word for it but you actually made me the opposite of 'disappointed'" he declares firmly, making sure to lock their eyes "And for the record, you're just as amazing as Ladybug when you're Marinette."

The young heroine blinks at him for a second before flashing him the biggest brightest smile he has seen in her face and Chat can't help but feel his stomach twist inside him, a warm feeling all over his body.

"Thanks, Kitty." She says softly, and Chat brings up their intertwined hand all up to his lips, pressing them against her knuckles.

"You're very welcome, My Lady."

A beeping sound suddenly caught their attention and both pairs of eyes looked over his ring, watching as another dot blinked itself off.

Chat shrugs before Marinette could speak "It's about time." He jokes quietly, squeezing her hand. She takes a breath but nods, respecting her partner decision.

They didn't have to wait long before a green flash appeared, making Marinette to cover her eyes with her free hand and closing them in the process. A heartbeat passed, and Marinette could feel the smooth fabric of a cotton t-shirt where her hand rested, still gripping a now naked hand.

"Marinette," she hears the soft whisper near her ear "Open your eyes."

That she did. Immediately, her eyes met familiar green ones. Adrien playfully wriggle his eye brows at her, with big Definitely-Chat-Noir Grin on his lips.

Marinette blinks at him, one, two and then three times and Adrien frowns in confusion and concern, starting to think that he might have broken her.

"Mari –" he starts but was cut off.

"I seriously didn't expect that." She deadpanned, face palming herself.

Adrien chuckles under his breath "Well, you're not alone on that one, Princess." He laughs again when Marinette groans and blushes even more at the nickname.

"I just can't believe that _you_ were capable to say those horrible dorky puns." She whines, pushing herself forwards and landing on his chest.

Adrien let out a mocking gasp "Princess, you wound me. I will let you know that those puns are _purr_ fectly well thought." He laughs as Marinette groans against him.

"Please, stop."

"What? You _chat_ handle these _paw_ some puns?"

"I'm warning you."

"Oh, I'm so _paw_ sitivly scared right now."

"I'm not going to use my Lucky Charm to heal you."

" _Mew_ -ouch, My Lady."

* * *

 _ **Hope you liked it!**_


	5. That's One Way

_N/a: Hi! I just wanted to point out that none of these shots are related, unless I say they're, like the two shots or like that. Okay? So, there might be many shots about reveals. That's all. Enjoy!_

 _Pd. Pardon any mistakes on the grammar and verb tense._

* * *

 ** _Title:_** That's One Way

 ** _Author_** : Rea Treoni

 ** _Rating:_** K+

 ** _Characters:_** Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste.

 ** _Notes:_** Identity reveal.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own any Miraculous Ladybug related character. They belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge)_

* * *

Adrien pursed his lips in a small pout, tapping the top of his pencil against his cheek as he stared with narrow eyes the HD photo of Ladybug he had on his laptop.

The blond suppressed a sigh as he let his head fall. He couldn't help but feel the _need_ of finding out who his lady is. Sure, he kind of promised that he wouldn't do anything to find out by force, after all, he did respect his partner and her wishes, but he was a cat, and cats are curious and in his case, he was _dying_ with curiosity.

He was close, he really was. He knows that the answer is right under his nose, or at least it feels that way. There must be something he was missing, something like a key, a small little detail that could put all the pieces together.

Adrien groans as he rub his face frustrated, glancing briefly at the wall with all of his clues on it, strings all over the photos and small post its to add random comments and theories. He's not obsessed, he reasons wth himself, he's a detective, and therefor he has every right to act like this.

He's also in love, but that's not the reason he wants to know, no matter how much Plagg wants to tell him otherwise.

The teen shook his head, frowning in annoyance. It was driving him insane, he has work nonstop for the past few weeks and he needed a break. Not to mention that he hasn't even hanged out with his friends because of all the extra shootings his father put on him. The group of four was starting to go out more and more as the days passed and Adrien couldn't be happy to finally call someone his friend. Even Marinette, the shy talented girl who always seemed scared of him, was opening to him, her stuttering being less frequent and Adrien even caught her teasing and making jokes with him when she was distracted, allowing him to see another side of her.

Adrien smiled to himself as he remembers the first time Marinette teased him. The four of them went to a movie premier and while Alya and Nino entered ahead to search for their seats, Adrien and Marinette stayed behind to buy all of their food.

After a quick fight on who was going to pay what, Adrien sent her a victorious smile as he handled the cashier his credit card. Marinette only glared at him before eyeing the popcorn they just got, a smirk growing in her face.

Before he could even blink, Marinette grabbed a bunch of popcorn on her fist and threw them at him, straight to his face. Adrien froze and blinked at her laughing form, as she pointed at him and giggled something about 'his face'. As her laughing grew and his cheeks got warmer, Adrien's eyes narrow in mischief and grinned at her, grabbing his own box of popcorn and returning her attack.

Their small war ended when the Janitor of the cinema sent them a dirty glare and they sheepishly left to find their friends. Once they arrived, both of them were flustered when their respective best friend asked what had happened to half disappeared popcorn.

Chuckling to himself, Adrien made his decision and called out for Plagg. With a flash of green light, Chat Noir left his room and ran through the roofs of Paris, heading straight towards a familiar bakery.

* * *

"Well, that's another mission accomplished, My Lady." Declares Chat as he stretched his arms upright, sighing in content when he heard a pop.

Ladybug stood near the edge of the roof, arms crossed over her chest and loking at the city below. She nods at her partner, not running her head. "You did great with that move you did to make him lose his balance. When did you learn that?" she asks.

Chat sent her a wink. "Why, My Lady, I'm a cat with many tricks."

She snorts playfully. "I'm sure you are, Kitty."

"But did you see his face when you threw your yo-yo at him? It was hilarious!" he laughs, leaning against the wall of the building. Ladybug laughs with him.

"Or when you actually meowed at him and he looked so scared." She giggles, shaking her head in amusement "It's just our luck to get an Akuma that is half mouse."

They exchanged different moments of their fight, laughing and blushing as they recalled their past fights. They shoved each other, playing around and laughing as they remembered their first time as a duo and how out of sync they had been. Nowadays, they can take care of an Akuma in record time, their synchronization and team works at its fullest.

"Oh, oh! How about that time we fought the Fashinator? I was so excited to see such beautiful designs and fabric that I almost didn't want to purify it." Ladybug sighs. Chat sent her a playful look.

"He was turning everyone into mannequins so he could 'show off' his creations, My Lady." He reminds chuckling. Ladybug shrugs with a grin.

"The designs were still cool, though." She says, before grasping her hands "Like, did you saw that scarf he combined with the dull sweater? That was brilliant! And the dress with a golden chain around the waist? Simply divine!" she kept on going, describing with detail every single design that appeared during that specific battle.

He smiles softly as he watches rambling on. It wasn't always that they get the chance to know something new about each other, because they always try to keep the personal stuff on the side, to not reveal anything, but they were times like this one, that the love and passion they feel towards something just slips. Chat is glad he gets to know another part of his mysterious lady.

His thoughts suddenly stop when his eye watches a particular movement on Ladybug. She was still talking, the excitement and passion could be easily heard on her voice, but as she grew more and more excited, her actions started to be more active.

Chat eyes widen when she wiggles her butt.

'Oh, god.' He thinks, a train wreck of thoughts passing through his head in less than a second. He knew that wiggle of a butt. He recognized that wiggle. It was the same wiggle that happened when certain shy class mate was excited. It was the same wiggle his friend made when she talks to Alya about something in hushed sounds. It was the same wiggle Marinette made a few nights ago when she talked about her crush.

"Marinette¡?" he blurts out before he can stop himself. He slaps a hand over his mouth, to prevent any more accidents.

But the damage was already done. He watches with wide eyes as Ladybug –Marinette, because she's definitely Marinette, oh my god – freezes in her spot, shoulder tense and she slowly turns her head towards him.

After a heartbeat, her shocked expression changes into a nervous one, she lets out a tentative smile and looking anywhere but his eyes. "Wha – Marinette? Isn't she the girl I asked to protect a few months ago?" she asks in a small voice, sticking her head out to the edge of the roof to look down the street "Did you saw her passing through, or…?" she trails off, forcing a chuckle.

Chat didn't even hesitate, he quickly started nodding frantically. "Yes! Yes! I saw her walking down the street and I was surprise, because, well, we just fought and Akuma and it can still be dangerous outside."

Neither of them mentions how the street below them is deserted.

He holds his breath, hoping that his excuse is enough for her to let go of the topic. Apparently, it is, because her shoulders got loose and he actually hears her sigh in relief under her breath.

"Ah, she should be fine. She's a big girl." The pig tails heroine reassurance and Chat can only nod silently.

They respective miraculous suddenly started beeping, letting them know that it was almost time to make their exit. They shared a quick glance.

"Well, that's our cue."

Chat nods again before shaking his head slightly, trying to focus. Gathering as much as he could of Chat Noir, he grins big at her and raised two fingers to salute her. "A pleasure, as always, My Lady." He says, picking up her hand and dropping a quick butterfly kiss in her knuckles before she could pull away.

She chuckles fondly at him "Silly Kitty." She then waves at him one last time before leaping out of the rooftop.

Once he knew she was out of his earshot, his exaggerated grin turned into a soft smile, eyes staring at the spot she had disappeared to. "Princess." He whispers under his breath, before heading home.

* * *

It took one hour and a hole in his room because of all his pacing, for him to finally make a decision and visit Marinette that night.

He didn't know what he expected. Marinette was still Marinette but she was now also Ladybug. When he arrived, she greeted him as usual: a fond eye roll, a smile, a shove in the shoulder because one of his puns and then handled him a mug of hot chocolate.

He shakes his head in his mind. Smiling happily as Marinette kept on talking about a new theory Alya told her about.

He knows the saying 'Curiosity killed the cat', but in his case, curiosity actually saved the cat. All made sense now; he could understand her reasons to keep their identity in the shadows, to avoid unnecessary risks, for themselves and their family.

He can't believe he was that blind. Like, she had been literally under his nose or more like he has been under her nose, because she sits behind him, but it's all the same. He now knows what they meant with the 'So close and yet so far' saying.

They were the same, both Marinette and Ladybug. They were one, they just acted different depending on the situation, just like he does when he's with his mask on but that didn't meant they weren't the same. They both were confident, smart, brave, kind, and beautiful. It was stupid to actually think he never connected the dots. It had to be the butt wiggle that opened his eyes.

Chat snapped out of his thoughts when Marinette clapped her hands in front of him to catch his attention. Once she made sure his eyes were on her she spoke.

"Alright, Kitty, it's time for you to go. I have a bunch of physic homework to finish for tomorrow, and I can't do it with you here." she declares, hunching over to grab some of the scattered papers on her floor, giving him her back.

There was a pause as he watched her collect the papers before he opens his mouth.

"We have physic homework?" he asks, arching an eye brow, before realizing what he just said. He slapped a hand over his mouth but he sees how Marinette's shoulders tense up and she freeze in her spot.

His mouth is really betraying him today.

* * *

 _ **Hope you liked it!**_


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